Meet Greg and Melinda Homan, all the way from Santa Fe in New Mexico, USA but passionate about Africa! Greg and Melinda were staying at Chanters Lodge in Livingstone for a few days, so we seized the chance to invite them on to our Sunday night radio show – The Chanters Lodge Experience with the Milli Jam Ingredient featuring George da Soulchild Kaufela, airing every Sunday night from 20.30 to 21.30 hrs on Zambezi 107.7 fm, Livingstone’s leading local radio station.

Passionate about Africa? Well yes, this is their third trip to the continent and on previous visits they climbed Mount Kilimanjaro and went to view the mountain gorillas in Rwanda – gotta be passionate to do those things. On this trip they were visiting Victoria Falls at the start of their holiday and the day after the show they were due to leave for a week in Botswana and then a two week stay in Namibia. While in Livingstone they’d seen the Falls from both sides and had swum in Devil’s Pool on Livingstone Island – “not bad for someone who doesn’t like heights or water!” Commented Melinda.

Greg told listeners that he was a carpenter by trade, making furniture and kitchen cabinets, as well as Spanish guitars (as a hobby). “Send us a guitar!” Demanded George and Milli Jam. “I’ll do that!” Said Greg. “Do you play the guitar yourself?” Asked Milli Jam, and Greg replied that he did and that when he was younger he had played in various rock bands. These days music wise he and Melinda like the Who, Steely Dan and Pink Floyd as well as country, jazz and classical music. On the sports front Greg told listeners that he’s a fan of the Washington Redskins. Melinda revealed that she and Greg had been married for 33 years although when Milli Jam originally asked her how long they’d been married, her reply was “forever”! Greg winced!

We featured tracks from Olly Murs, Brandy and Nicki Minaj at the top of the show. George came up with two latest, hot Zambian tracks ‘Chipangano’ by Batu featuring Tok Cido and Jemah, back to back with Mr Vezzy’s latest smash ‘Wemutima’ (my heart has a lot of desires but it leads me into trouble). Milli Jam chose Flo Rida’s ‘Whistle’ and Ne-Yo ft Wiz Khalifa with ‘Make ‘Em Like You’. George did not make the listeners like him when he dropped Madonna’s ‘Take A Bow’ as our oldie of the week – no-one guessed the performing artist and to me the choice was rather obscure. “We’ll make it easier next week!” I promised the listeners.

Melinda told our audience that she worked full time as a nanny for a family with three children which she enjoyed, and explained that she and Greg had two children of their own, both grown up and in college at the University of New Mexico, their son studying anthropology, their daughter nursing. “How did you two meet?” Milli Jam asked “and was it love at first sight?” “It was beer at first sight” quipped Melinda, we met in a bar and he got more attractive as the night progressed and more beer was consumed! We laughed.

Asked where they would like to be and what they would like to be doing ten years’ from now this engaging, charming American couple they said they hoped to be retired grandparents, still travelling, and running their own shop selling Homan guitars!

We wished them the best of luck!